


Links in a chain

by Keenir



Category: Norse Religion & Lore, Thor (Movies)
Genre: (this is odd because Hermod is Old English and Hermoth is Norse), Between Avengers (2012) and Thor: The Dark World, Gen, Odin has a cameo and a few thoughts, This is (slightly?) before Thor got into his 'i miss earth' mood, asgard politics, everyone has an opinion, nobody asks for Loki's, where was Loki gonna run?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 08:23:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7837459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keenir/pseuds/Keenir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki's captivity was never a simple matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Links in a chain

**Author's Note:**

> After the first Avengers movie, Loki had been taken back to Asgard, defeated and captive. So why, in Thor II, was he in even more bindings? Unless he wasn't as powerless as we had been led to believe.
> 
> Even if he had no say in that power.

Odin watched at Loki was walked into his presence under heavy guard and with manacles and heavy chains that rankled Odin's senses with the stink of magic suppressing materials - _a lot of them, a very great lot weighing my boy down_.  Odin observed at how Loki seemed to handle the weight and suppressants with grace and not as much ill will as some might.  _I was not so polite when I was a prisoner of Asgard_ , Odin recalled.

The AllFather glanced over to see how Frigga was faring, since she had elected to stand on the floor of the royal court rather than be beside him.  _She asked me to entrust Loki's security to her, and no matter how much I believe Loki to have learned his lesson and no matter how much I know Loki will remain as civil as he has ever been, I will not second guess my queen._

* * *

* * *

  _ **A Day Before...** _

"Hermod, I would speak with you," Thor called ahead to the head of the guardsmen  -   _the 'beetle-headed men' as I foolishly called them in my youth  -_ as he jogged to catch up with them while this off-duty group of them were running laps throughout Asgard.

Instructing his men to continue their laps, Hermod stopped and waited for Thor to catch up.  "Yes, Prince Thor?" Hermoth asked.

"I wish for your advice," Thor said.

 _Well, that's different._ "Advice in what, may I ask?" Hermod asked.

"I was wondering as to security."

Hermod bristled.  "If you doubt my dedication to the protection of the Realm, your Father, or your family, Prince Thor, then of course it is your right to have me replaced."

"There will be no need for that," Thor assured him quickly.  "Rather, my brother has been returned to us."

"No."

"No?" Thor asked.  "I do not understand - 'no' what?"

"I and my men are forbidden from taking sides in in-family disputes, Prince Thor."

"No, I was not asking you to do that.  Simply -"

"Might I speak freely, without fear of your wrath or your Hammer?" Hermod asked.

"Of course," Thor said.

"Your brother is Prince Loki.  He has been brought back to Asgard alone and restrained.  No forces have come to the borders of Asgard or of the Nine Realms to claim him or support him.  Thus, are you asking me to have my men break him from his temporary captivity, or to assassinate him?"

"Neither!"

"Then I apologize, my Prince.  What were you trying to ask me to do?"

"Why, protect Loki, of course."

Hermod gave Thor as pitying a look as one might give a prince and still live.  "Protect him from whom?  From yourself?"

"Why would...?" Thor asked.

"It is no secret that, as soon as your banishment was ended, you went to war against your brother," Hermod said.  "Since then, all of Asgard has known it was only a matter of time before we would be asked to take sides in your war.  Fortunately, your noble ancestor King Buri forbade both the guardsmen and the valkyries from taking sides - we obey only the Throne of Asgard - and your grandfather did not overturn that commandment.  We obey the AllFather, and fight when he deems it right for us to do so; you are not king yet, Prince Thor," half expecting to be hurled into a wall for that boldness.

"I am not," Thor agreed.  "I thank you for your time, good Hermod; you may go."

As the guardsman set off to rejoin the troops under his command, Thor wondered _Have I been on Earth so long it has affected my thinking?  Or do I understand my home less than I thought I did?_

* * *

 

Amora appeared inside Heimdall's observatory, beside the door.   "You summoned me, my lord Heimdall?" she asked, emphasizing it with a courtly courtesy which clashed with simply she had arrived - no cloud of green magic, nothing to distract the eye.

"I did not summon you," Heimdall said.  "I -"

"Asked to see me.  Yes, yes," she said, straightening and flashing a bright smile at him.  "And given that you don't normally do even that, how could I refuse?"

"Easily."

Amora rolled her eyes.  "Do I know why you asked to see me?  Yes.  Did I with my magic sense anything special recently?  Yes, though I suspect even half-dead Mirmir noticed it."

"You sensed the Tesseract," Heimdall said.

"Took long enough for someone to find it," Amora muttered.

"And you remain unaware of who the theft was masterminded by?"

"As I've said before, it was the same person who gave Mjolnir to Thor."  _Odin was most certainly not happy that day he found Thor holding Mjolnir._   "And I have known you long enough to know when you have more news to deliver."

"Loki has been returned to us," Heimdall said.

She blinked.  "That...explains the power.  Yes."  _Trust Loki to have found it._   "But not why you asked to see me."

"You would prefer our king question you regarding your loyalties?" he asked mildly.

Amora barked out a laugh.  "Wait," as it came to an end, "you were serious?"  She waved that question off.  "You always are.

"You were tasked with asking me if I was plotting to support Loki in some move against... Who?" Amora asked, all trace of a smile or humor gone from her voice and her face.  "And what would I do, in that assumption?   Come to the throne room and magic him to a redoubt from which I could liberate my sister and my mother?"

"I was not tasked by anyone," Heimdall said.  "I chose to ask you myself."

"You were always a smart one," Amora said.  "If I coveted the throne, why would I help Loki?  He and I are enemies, not alone for his caging my sister and muting her.  And he would inherit the throne far before I would."  And then she smiled a smile that made Heimdall uneasy.  "Unless your fear isn't for me, but for yourself."

He knew better than to deny it: _Amora would once again run rings around me, laughing all the while_.  "I am not a kingmaker any more," Heimdall said.

"Yet you supported Thor against Loki."

 _I did.  I broke the vow I made long ago._   "I have my debt to Loki, yes.  But I will not break one chain that holds him."

"Then, if you are asked, good Heimdall, you can tell them that I am voting your way," and, with a smile, vanished.

* * *

 

Within the great school of Asgard, lies the vast library where all the knowledge learned by the Nine Realms is stored.  AllMother Frigga walked down one corridor after another, ever calm and patient, and found the younger woman filing books in the botanical tome room.

From looking at her, Frigga felt that the younger lady had weathered time well since coming to Asgard.  A pleated cloak offset the humble umber of her trousers and blouse, while long hair wound around and around in a simple knot.

Frigga recognized Sigyn's hat as one that Loki had given to the young lady centuries ago, to cap off a grand feat they and their friends had accomplished; a festive gift exchange which she as AllMother had overseen.    _Back when Loki was happy and plotted little._ "May I speak with you?" Frigga asked.

Sigyn startled slightly, turned, and knelt.  "You have no need to ask."

"This is your domain," Frigga shrugged, trying to smile even with what she had to ask soon.

"This is part of Asgard, which is your domain.  I appreciate the kindness, but I regret I am busy, and I have no doubt that you have come a long way, AllMother Frigga," Sigyn said.  "Thus, is there a particular text or specimen you are seeking?" standing back up and returning her attention to the tomes and texts.

"I have a question that must be asked, Sigyn, and I wish I did not have to ask it."

Sigyn looked at her for a few seconds more, before ducking down and sliding one more book back in its shelf.  As she stood once more, "Its to do with Loki's return.  You want to know who I support."

"We are all in favor of Loki making a full recovery," Frigga said. 

"But when one brother places shackles on the other, loyalties are weighed as more important than well-wishes.  Heartwarming, my Queen?"

"No.  It is one time I wish Asgard were less like my homeland," Frigga said, remembering the network of loyalties and how it could change so easily in Vanaheim - _That was part of what made Odin's offer so tempting: to make a home in a place far less given to social upsets.  Stability brought comfort, with family._   "That is why I came, as I know how distasteful the question is...though I confess I am out of practice at couching it behind politeness."

"I won't deny having been friends with Loki.  He and I got along far better than I did with his brother."

"Sif was also friends with Loki, and I'll be -"

Sigyn winced, then looked at Frigga as though she would have preferred being slapped.

_I forgot._

But before she could apologize, Sigyn gave a nod, then jotted down a note before heading a few feet away to handle the next book.  "I am loyal to my King, to your husband, my Queen.  That remains unchanged."

Frigga almost nodded, but held off as she recognized the sound of someone who was about to qualify their statement.  She waited til Sigyn was ready to say what the qualifier was.

At last, Sigyn said, "I will give you the same answer I gave Sif and the others four centuries ago:  I don't want to fight any more.  I can still fight, but..."  and she shook her head.  "I won't answer your question.  I know you are second only to the AllFather, but I would not answer him either - after what I gave up, both of your sons gave me their word I could stay here in the quiet," _in the eternal shade of the library, studying and helping herein._

Frigga nodded.  "I had to ask.  Thank you, Sigyn.  I will leave you alone."

"Thank you, AllMother."

Frigga walked out of the library a bit quicker than she had walked in and through it.

* * *

After that talk with Hermod, Thor made his way to the exercise yard, where the troops of Asgard - even the royal family - drilled in how to fight.  Thor stopped at the archery stand, where Beta Ray Bill was flinging his hammer Stormbreaker at the targets and watching his hammer swing around the targets, returning to his hand.  "Your skill is undiminished, my friend," Thor said.

"Appreciated," Bill said.  "Though I'm surprised you're here."

"Asgard is my home," Thor said.

"Snakes go to their home den to hibernate, but spend their days elsewhere.  It was starting to look like you were the same."

"I was helping my friends on Earth.  As you used to remind me, my friend, it is a fool who does not help where he can."

 _If I was built like an Asgardian, I'd shrug._   "Then I would ask why you aren't helping them now - have the humans gone down for their naps?"

"I brought Loki back home," Thor said.  "Back to his family and his friends."

"Good to know.  And now what for you?"

"Once the Bifrost has been repaired, I may return to Midgard for a time."

"Clearly, you're forgetting something."

"No, nothing," Thor said.

Bill growled something deep in his throat.  Then, civilly, "I am Beta Ray Bill, the last Korbonite in the universe.  Who are you?" and hurled Stormbreaker once more.

"I am Thor, son of Odin and Frigga."

To Thor's eyes, it was hard to tell if Bill was rolling his eyes, as Korbonite eyes were solid white.

"You are _the heir_ ," Beta Ray Bill said.  "If you want to run around Midgard and fight warlords, you can't do that as the heir."

"But who else is there?" Thor asked.  "Loki is -"

"Your brother and recognized by the AllFather as one of his sons," Bill said, catching Stormbreaker on the return.  "Unless there's someone else?"

"Amora and her sister are in line for the throne.  Technically Heimdall comes well before them, but he won't take the throne even if my father were to offer it to him."

"Oh yay, those two again - didn't we fight a war against them to keep them away from power?"

"That was not the only reason," Thor said, taking a mock swing, visualizing Mjolnir looping around the archery targets as well as Stormbreaker did.  _But, thus far, Mjolnir would simply strike straight at the targets, and then return to me._

"Whatever.  I may be a pal to you and Loki, but I'm still a guest," Bill said.  "I shouldn't get involved in this."

"And I do not wish to move against my brother any more than I have," Thor said.  Clapping one hand on Bill's shoulder, "Thank you for your frank answers, my friend."

* * *

 At the end of the day, Frigga conferred with Heimdall, who said, "I have asked discretely of those whose discretion can be trusted.  And I have observed the conversations of all others."

"What are your findings, Heimdall?" Frigga asked.

"Many are barred from siding with either of your sons in any rivalry.  But of those who are not, Asgard is divided evenly in regards to capabilities.  All of them regard their loyalty being to the AllFather and yourself first and foremost."

Frigga breathed a sigh of relief.  But only a small one, knowing there was more to come.

Heimdall continued:  "None of them wish to be the one to take the first step into hostilities.  But if hostilities do begin, they will take sides.  And if that happens, only the AllFather can stop it, with yourself, the valkyries, and the guardsmen supporting him.  Asgard will be greatly damaged."  _A fate narrowly avoided when last I was a kingmaker, as Amora reminded me._

Frigga knew, _And having to handle both sons sufficiently hard to bring the conflict to an end, that would crush my husband. Perhaps kill him._ "Which means we must keep Thor well away from Loki.  Allow nothing to risk lighting the tinder that is Asgard presently." _For all their cleverness, both of my sons have a bad habit of provoking fights -_ sometimes _even deliberately._

Nodding, Heimdall said, "I will keep him occupied."  _I trust the Warriors Three will help me there; my sister is...I am less certain._   "And Loki himself?"

Frigga did not have a happy face on when she said, "I fear we must reenact history where my son is concerned."  _Lots of heavy chains, for starters.  And a dozen guardsmen behind him._

**Author's Note:**

> As they said in Babylon Five, "Never start a fight. Always be willing to finish it." And when everyone has that attitude, you have a tinderbox.  
> (so in a way, the Dark Elves saved the day)


End file.
